Advertisement

Advertisement - Mobile In-Article

Monday, 19 September 2016

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has said their 3-1 defeat to Watford, was due to mistakes by the referee and poor defending.

The Red Devils fell to a third consecutive defeat on Sunday at Vicarage Road.

Etienne Capoue opened scoring in the first half, before Marcus Rashford equalized after the break. But further goals from Juan Camilo Zuniga and Troy Deeney, ensured United left with nothing.
Mourinho claims the first goal should not have been allowed to stand.
“I can split this into three factors – one is the referee’s crucial mistakes, it’s not in my control,” he said.
“I can’t do anything, I can’t change that, it’s not under my control, but against Man City you know what happened in the 55th minute.
“Today, you know what happened in the first goal, so we were punished by these mistakes but I can’t do anything.”

Mourinho, however, accepted that the second goal was his own players fault.
“The third thing is what is in my hands, improvement of the team and the individuals. I tried to stop the defensive mistakes, and I knew that I had a task,” he added.

“Their second goal is a mistake. It’s a mistake that goes against our plan and against our training because our intention was for the wing-backs to be pressed and not let them progress.
“But what happens is that their guy gets the ball 25 metres away from our box and we gave him the space. This is a tactical but also a mental attitude. It’s something that doesn’t become perfect in a couple of weeks. So we have to improve, no doubt, individually and collectively. And that’s my job.”

The loss to Watford, is United’s third in eight days, after they were beaten in the Manchester Derby last Saturday (and in the Europa League by Feyenoord on Thursday .
It is also the first time Mourinho is losing three times in a row as a manager since August 2006.

“I feel that some individuals probably feel the pressure and responsibility too much,” he said.
“But from a collective point of view, I only have good things to say about them. At 1-1 everyone thinks we are going to win the game. We were showing complete control, intensity, creation.

“We started the season very well with (winning) the Community Shield and three victories in a row in the Premier League, the best start that a new manager has had at Manchester United I think. But was I thinking that my team was ready, perfect, unbeatable? Not at all.
“I was completely aware that we were not perfect, with lots of players who are not end products and can make their own mistakes.”